Necticut



April 17, 1926. v 1,666,546

S. L. WOLFSON ELECTRIC LIGHTER FOR CIGARS, CIGARETTES, ETC

Filed Feb. 18, 1928 Patented Apr. 17, 1928. i

umrso STATES SIDNEY L. woLrsoN, or MERIDEN, comvnc'rrcur. ASSIGNOR TO ,THE' c-UNo sear.

NEERING conronacrron, or nnmmv, coNNncrIcUr, AcoRronArIoN NEGTIGUT.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC LIGHTER FOB CIGARS, CIGARETTESiETC.

Application filed rebruar 18, 1928. Serial No. 255,341

' My invention is an improvement on devices of the character set forth in the Cuno and Wood Patent 1,556,082.

One object is to provide 'a'simple, inexpensive and reliable construction of the automatic reel type. 1

Another object is to provide a construction which may be automatically lighted by the'act of drawing out the lighter but in which the lighter can be readily extinguished by simply changing the position of the hand and which maybe again lighted when desired.

Another object is. to tion of this character with a. highly but inexpensive igniter unit.

In its preferred form-I employ a holder which constitutes a housing within which is mounted at one end a stationary contact and at the outer end a heater coil having an interior contact. Between these contacts is mounted a switch memberwhich is guided to provide a, construcefiiclent slide on one contact. A spring tends to keep the switch member separated from the other contact under normal inactive conditions. The usual ash guard is connected 'to the switch member so that it serves as an operating finger piece or grip. When the device is to be used the operator takes hold of the ash guard and draws outthe lighter from the reel casing. This act automatically closes the power circuit. When the operating finger piece or grip is released the spring automatically separates the contact and opens the circuit.

Fig. 1 is a side view of apparatus embodying my invention and showing in dotted lines the igniter drawn out.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the parts particularly involving the invention. 7

Fig. 3 is still a further enlarged sectional view of the igniter or heater unit.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view' showing the various parts of the device.

The casing 5 contains a reel 6 of any suitable character for automatically winding up the conductor cable or cord 7 The casing will usually have a mouth piece or socket 8- The igniter unit has a foundation or body or corrpart 13 ofinsulating material and the heater wire 14:. The latter is preferably in the form of a spiral which may be made ofordinary round wirew-ith itsends bent at substantially right angles to the plane of. the coil. The main spiral part of the coil is preferably flattened, as shown inFig; 3 so as to produce a maximum area of exposure for the cigar'or cigarette. The outer end 15 of the coil is secured in a peripheral recess of the body 13 and electrically connected to the metallic rim 16. The inner end 17 extends into a metallic tube 18. A plug 19 connects the end 17 with the tube 18 and forms a contact at the rear of the heater unit. The heater unit may be removably mounted in the mouth of the holder 9'and secured in place by-mean's of a ring 20 which is screwed on to' the threaded end 21 of the holder.

The conducting pin 12 is provided with an extension 22 which forms a central guiding contact in line with the contact plug 19. A tubular switch member 23' ,is' mounted to slide on the contact 22 and adapted to engage with the head of the 'contact plug 19.

Thisswitch member 23 is mechanically secured to the disc 24 but insulated from it by the insulating washers 25. This plate 24: is

provided with an external flange 26 which serves as a convenient means for operating the swltch member, and also serves as an ash guard and wind shleld for the heater element. A spring 27 presses the disc 24 rear-' the spring 27. If the operator grasps the holder 9 at one end and lets go of the flange 26 the circuit is automatically opened so that the holder may be retained in the hand without having the current on. This construction also insures the automatic extinction of the igniter when the operator lets go of the holder and does not require the holder to be inserted in the socket 8 in order to extinguish it. t

In this respect the device is an improvement over the prior patent referred to in which the circuit is automatically closed,

except when the holder is inserted in the socket of the reel casing, or unless the switch member is held manually in the open circuit position.

It will be understood that'one side of the circuit extends from the ring 11 to the holder 9 and thence to the ring 16 and the outer end of the heater coil.

I claim:

1. An electric lighter of the character described comprising a casing having an igniter unit in its outer end, a stationary contact within the casing, a sliding switch member mounted on said stationary. contact adapted to electrically connect with one end of the igniter unit when drawn out.

2. An electric lighter comprising a casing, a stationary contact mounted therein, an igniter unit secured in the end of the casing, a switch member slidable on said contact, a spring for. normally holding said switch member disconnected from said igniter unit, and means for moving said switch member into electrical connection with said igniter unit.

3. An electric cigar lighter comprising a casing having an igni'ter unit in its outer end, a stationary contact supported within the casing, a switch member slidably supported on one of said contacts adapted to electrically connect with the other contact, and an ash guard serving as an operator for said switch member.

l. Anelectric cigar lighter comprising a casing, a stationary contact mounted in the inner end thereof, an igniter unit secured in the outer end of the casing, a switch member slidable on said contact, a spring for normally holding said switch member disconnected from said igniter unit, and an external flange for moving said switch member into electrical connection with said igniter unit.

5. In a cigar lighter, a holder, a contact pin mounted therein but insulated therefrom, an igniter unit mounted in the outer end of the holder (and comprising a spiral of flattened wire) and a switch member slidable on said contact pin toward said igniter unit.

6. A cigar lighter comprising a holder, an igniter unit mounted therein, an ash guard slida-bly carried by the holder and aswitch member carried by and movable with but insulated from, the ash guard and adapted to connect withthe igniter unit.

7. A cigar lighter comprising a holder, an igniter unit mounted in one end of the holder, a flanged ring for holding the unit in the holder, a switch member slidable in vthe holder toward and away from the igniter unitand a spring pressing between the igniter unit and the switch member. i

8. In a cigarlighter, acasing containing a spring reel, an igniter having a cable connecting it to the reel, said igniter comprising aholder, a heater element at the outer end thereof, a switch member supported to slide longitudinally 0n the holder toward the heater element, a spring normally pressing said switch member away from the heater element, an ash guard connected, to the switch member for drawing it toward the heater element. f

SIDNEY L. VVOLFSON, 

